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Sebastian Vettel
| birth date = | birthplace = Heppenheim, Hesse, West Germany | currentteam = | currentcar = 1 | firstrace = 2007 United States Grand Prix | firstwin = 2008 Italian Grand Prix | lastwin = 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix | lastrace = | 2013Position = 1st | 2013Pts = 397 | status = Active }} Sebastian Vettel (born July 3, 1987 in Heppenheim, Bergstraße, Hesse, West Germany) is a German Formula One racing driver and the reigning Formula One World Champion, a title which he won for the fourth consecutive time in . He currently drives for alongside Mark Webber, having previously raced for and . Vettel made his début in 2007, replacing injured Polish driver Robert Kubica at the 2007 United States Grand Prix. Vettel is currently the holder of numerous records in F1, most notably including Youngest Polesitter, Youngest Race Winner (both ITA 2008), Youngest World Champion, Youngest Double World Champion. Youngest Triple Word Champion, Youngest Quadruple World Champion and Most consecutive victories in consecutive events. Vettel's first title, , was won at the final race. He had not led the championship until the fianl race, taking the title off Fernando Alonso. In , Vettel dominated, winning 11 of the 19 races, and taking his second championship with ease. was a different story, as the RB8 was slow out the blocks, but towards the end it came strong. Vettel was able to win four races in a row to successfully defend his title from Alonso. For , Vettel has strolled to the title after a slow start, and includes a current run of six consecutive wins. For the 2013 season, he took the 4th title in the 2013 Indian Grand Prix. After the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix, he scored a total of 397 points, breaking his career record back in 2011, with 392 points, by 5. The car number for Vettel's car will be #1 for , but will switch to #5 for . Racing career Early career Sebastian Vettel was born on the 3rd July 1987 in Heppenheim, West Germany and was brought up with two older sisters, Melanie and Stefani, and a younger brother, Fabian. Vettel began his racing career at the age of three in 1990. From a very young age, compatriot motor racer Michael Schumacher had been one of Vettel's hero's and inspirations. In 1994 at the age of seven, Vettel met his hero for the first time after winning a local karting event. Schumacher would go on to win his first Formula One World Championship shortly afterwards. for the first time in 1994]] In 1997, Vettel began to move into professional Karting categories. Between 1997 and 2000, Vettel consecutively won each of the DMV and NRW German Championships in each of their respective seasons. In 2001, Vettel went on to win the ICA Junior Eureopean Karting Championship. Remaining in the category for 2002, Vettel performed less successfully to finish the championship in sixth position. Formula BMW ADAC (2003-2004) 2003 For 2003, Vettel made a further step in his motor racing career inwhich he began competing in single-seaters joining the Formula BMW ADAC series within his homeland of Germany. Vettel joined the Eifelland Racing Team partnering Andreas Wirth, a driver who was competing in his second season of Formula BMW. Despite this, Vettel was able to consistently outmatch his teammate at nearly every event and went on to take a total of five wins, five pole positions and twelve podiums throughout the nineteen race season. These results were enough for him to finish second in the championship behind Maximilian Götz. 2004 Vettel opted to remain in Formula BMW for 2004 however switched from Eifelland Racing to the Berlin-Brandenburg team. Vettel would go on to completely dominate the rest of the field taking eighteen wins out of the twenty race season and of the two races he did not win, he would not finish lower than a third place in the race. Formula Three (2005-2006) 2005 After his success in Formula BMW, Vettel would move up a category for the 2005 season, joining the Formula 3 Euro Series competing for the German ASL Mücke Motorsport team. The season would start off rather slow for Vettel in which he struggled to produce any particularly strong results during the first half of the season, however towards the end of the season Vettel began to regularly challenge the front runners. Vettel would regularly challenge Championship leader and eventual winner, Lewis Hamilton for the lead but ultimately would always finish second to his British rival. Vettel would finish the season fifth in the championship with five podiums within the twenty races that season. Vettel would also compete in the prestigious F3 races at the Macau Grand Prix and the Masters of Formula 3. Vettel performed strongly in the Macau Grand Prix, finishing the race in third behind Lucas di Grassi and Robert Kubica. The Masters of Formula 3 race would see him perform less well, taking only an eleventh place finish in the race. 2006 Vettel would go on to compete a second season in Formula Three with the ASL Mücke Motorsport team. Vettel was partnered with fellow future F1 racers Paul di Resta, Kamui Kobayashi and Giedo van der Garde as teammates. Vettel would prove to be a title contender from the first race, both he and teammate Paul di Resta shared a strong rivalry in fighting for the championship. By the mid-point of the season both Vettel and Di Resta were nearly equal in the title race. However an accident in the Formula Renault series nearly severed off one of his fingers, the accident was predicted to keep him out of the Championship for the rest of the season however he would return to the cockpit for the very next F3 race at Zandvoort only four weeks after his accident. Whilst his almost immediate recovery proved to be a surprise to everyone in the paddock, Vettel failed to be able to compete to the best of his ability for the rest of the season and was forced to succede the title to teammate Di Resta. Formula Renault (2006-2007) 2006 Vettel was given two guest appearances within the World Series by Renault with Carlin Motorsport at the Misano and Spa-Francorchamps rounds of the 2006 Championship. Vettel immediately adjusted well to the category and in his first race at Misano he finished in second position before at the following race he managed to take a win in the series after original winner Pastor Maldonado was disqualified from the race. However a repeat of his Misano success would not be possible at Spa-Francorchamps after mid-way through the first race Vettel spun on a wet track at Eau Rouge slamming into the barrier. The debris from the accident had sliced open one of his fingers, nearly severing the entire finger from his hand. The accident would keep him out of the racing action for the rest of the weekend, however the young German suffered a relatively minor injury in what could have been an incident that finished his Grand Prix career. 2007 Although only briefly appearing in the World Series by Renault in 2006, Vettel opted to move into the series full-time for the 2007 season. Vettel would once again compete for Carlin Motorsport and from the very beginning of the season proved to be a strong title contender. Vettel took a win at his home-race at the Nurburgring and had taken two other podium finishes throughout the season. However despite leading the Championship by the end of the Hungarian round of the Championship, Vettel opted to leave the series in order to join the team in Formula One as a full-time race driver for the rest of the season. Formula One (2005-Present) 2005: Williams After Vettel's success in the Formula BMW category, which saw him win nearly all the races and take a convincing victory in the championship, Vettel was invited to partake in a Formula One test for 2005 by with their sponsored Formula One team at . On the 27th September 2005, Vettel drove a Formula One car for the first time at a test session in the Circuito de Jerez alongside Williams race driver Mark Webber and Williams test driver Nico Rosberg. Vettel spent approximately three hours in the Williams FW27 and completed a total of 25 laps of the circuit. 2006-2007: BMW Sauber 2006 In 2006, purchased a majority stake in the F1 Team, renaming the team to . Vettel's association with BMW would continue into the new team despite the fact of its move from . On the 6th July 2006, Vettel competed in his second Formula One test session alongside the team's test driver Robert Kubica. Vettel had a much more extensive test session than his previous F1 test with Williams, completing a total of 83 laps for the BMW Sauber team. In August 2006, BMW race driver Jacques Villeneuve would resign from the racing team promoting the team's reserve driver Robert Kubica to the full time race seat. As a result, Sebastian Vettel would be promoted to the team's reserve driver from the Turkish Grand Prix onwards. As the reserve driver, Vettel would partake in the first practice sessions for the BMW Sauber team for the rest of the season. In his first Grand Prix meeting at Turkey, Vettel set the fastest practice time out of all the drivers for the first practice session of the weekend. Vettel would go on to set the fastest practice time of the afternoon Friday session of the 2006 Italian Grand Prix directly after the Turkish meeting. Vettel would remain the Friday test driver for the final three races of the season at China, Japan and Brazil, competing in all of the Friday practice sessions as well as partaking in non-Grand Prix test sessions at Monza and Silverstone. 2007 For the 2007 Formula One Season, Vettel continued in his role as the test and reserve driver for the team. Vettel was involved in a significant amount of pre-seasont testing with the team and was invited to compete in the Friday practice sessions of the first two rounds of the championship at Australia and Malaysia. As well as this Vettel did extensive testing mileage and evaluation for the team throughout the season on the teams' F1.07 car. When regular driver Robert Kubica suffered a serious accident at the Canadian Grand Prix which left him injured with a concussion and sprained ankle, it was announced he could not compete in the following event at the United States Grand Prix. Being the reserve driver, Vettel was called up to replace the injured Kubica for the weekend. Despite being unfamiliar with the Indianapolis circuit, Vettel managed to impress during the practice sessions, consistently being among the fastest cars in the field. In qualifying Vettel continued to impress putting his car seventh on the grid only two places behind teammate Nick Heidfeld. The race started less well with Vettel dropping back four places before the first corner. Vettel managed to claw his way back to eighth before the conclusion of the race and was beginning to pressure the of Mark Webber before crossing the finishing line. At only nineteen years of age, Vettel became the youngest driver to score a point in Formula One by finishing in eighth position. For the next race at the French Grand Prix, Robert Kubica resumed his race seat within the team relegating Vettel back into his role as the team's test and reserve driver. 2007-2008: Toro Rosso 2007 After Vettel's impressive performance in the United States Grand Prix, Vettel attracted the attention of the team. Toro Rosso was the B-Team' to that of the main Red Bull Racing team, Vettel being apart of Red Bull's young driver programme. On the 31st July 2007, Vettel was confirmed to be replacing the underperforming Scott Speed in the team, partnering Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi for the rest of the season. Two days later it was announced Vettel had been signed on for the 2008 season as well. The Friday practice session for the Hungarian Grand Prix would be the first time Vettel would get the opportunity to drive the 2008 Toro Rosso challenger. As a result Vettel struggled in qualifying, managing only 20th in qualifying then going on for a quiet race to finish in 16th place. The following race in Turkey was equally unimpressive with Vettel only finishing a disappointing 20th, suffering an engine stall during his first pit-stop during the race. After a disappointing opening two races for Toro Rosso, Vettel was able to for the first time conduct a proper test session with the Toro Rosso team at Monza in preparation for the Italian Grand Prix. Vettel performed well in qualifying, finishing the session 16th, three places above teammate Liuzzi. The race proved to be more disappointing with Vettel running into the back of the of Anthony Davidson and going on to finish a lowly 18th. Vettel suffered another disappointing result in Belgium, retiring on the eighth lap with steering issues. Vettel finally got a change of fortunes in the Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway. Vettel impressed in qualifying, qualifying a respectable ninth position significantly ahead of teammate Liuzzi. The Japanese Grand Prix suffered from a heavy rain downpour which would see an eventful race in which many cars would aquaplane off the circuit with many cars retiring. Vettel however was able to continue strongly, slowly making his way up the field. On lap 41, the safety car came out after race leader Fernando Alonso spun out of the race. Vettel found himself in third place behind the of Mark Webber and the of Lewis Hamilton. However disaster would occur when on lap 45, Vettel rammed into the back of Webber's Red Bull after misjudging his braking point behind the Red Bull. Both drivers retired, Mark Webber heavily criticised the young German for the accident and Vettel himself, was seen crying in the Toro Rosso garage after causing the incident. Vettel would be given a ten-place grid drop for the next race in China, but this was reduced by the stewards to a reprimand upon further review. Despite getting his ten-place grid drop revoked, Vettel would go on to get a five-place grid drop in China after blocking the of Heikki Kovalainen on his best flying lap. Vettel's penalty meant he would start the race from 17th on grid. The race, being one held in mixed conditions would provide a strong recovery after his mishap in Japan. Vettel would climb the order to finish a commendable fourth place, providing Toro Rosso with their best result as of that point in their career. The final race of the season proved to be a disappointment with Vettel retiring with Hydraulics issues. 2008 2009-Present: Red Bull Racing 2009 2010 2011 2012 In the first part of 2012 when the Red Bull was only the best car ''most ''of the time, Vettel struggled, winning only one race and falling many, many points behind the consistent triple race winner Fernando Alonso in an inferior Ferrari. Alonso consistently out-drove the faster Red Bull and delivered astonishing performances, being the only driver to win from lower than third in 2012. Winning in Malaysia from 8th and Europe from 11th. Also, in the rain Vettel and his quicker car were outclassed by gutsy Alonso, dancing through the harsh conditions to dominate rain-drenched qualifying sessions with two poles. In Spa, Alonso (running third) was hit by an out-of control Grosjean, Vettel only avoiding the collision because of his lackluster qualifying performance of 11th. Vettel's rivals crashed out in front of him and he ordered the team to pit Webber early so he could get through, gaining 2nd place and 18 points over Alonso. In Monza, Alonso was by far the quickest in Q1 and Q2, and looked easily set for pole position. However, in Q3 his car had a problem, meaning Alonso would have to start tenth. Alonso's Q2 time was quicker than Hamilton's pole position Q3 time, so without the mechanical failure Alonso would have definately been on pole. In the race, Alonso brilliantly fought his way to the podium, despite Vettel pushing him well onto the gravel to halt his charge. Alonso would have won the race but he had to settle with a mere 15 points, 10 less than he could have done. In Singapore, Hamilton retired, gifting the victory to the new fastest car, the Red Bull. Alonso fought his way to the podium but lost 10 points to Vettel. In Japan, a racing incident forced Alonso out while the Red Bull was dominant, the only car capable of victory, and Webber was hit by Grosjean, so Vettel inevitably gained 25 points over Alonso, weakening the lead Alonso had built up when his Ferrari was only 1.5 seconds slower than the Red Bull to 4 points. In Korea, Webber got pole but had to let Vettel win so he could get the championship. Alonso was behind only the Red Bulls after another stroming race in his slow Ferrari. In India, again, the Red Bulls looked like they couldn't be touched but a stirling drive from Alonso brought him ahead of Webber to second. In Abu Dhabi Vettel struggled in qualifying, ending up behind Webber despite his car being much lighter. He had to come from last and made it onto the podium through a series of safety cars, car crashing in front of him and Webber again being forced to get out of the way. In USA Red Bull were again the fastest by far but Vettel couldn't handle Hamilton's speed and came second, with Alonso coming from 7th onto the podium again. The gap going into Beazil was Vettel 13 points ahead of Alonso. The Mclarens were by far the quickest so Alonso could only fight to second, whereas Vettel ended up sixth, claiming the championship by 3 points to the much more talented Alonso, who is now reconised by most of the paddock as the best driver in F1. 2013 Formula One Statistical Overview F1 Career Record Statistics * As of the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix F1 Wins Career Results | | | | |—|—}} | ||||| ||||16th|19th|18th| | | | |6|14th}} | | | |17th| | |12th| | | | | | | | |9th| |35|8th}} | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |84|2nd}} | | | | | | | | | | | |15th| | | | | | |256|1st}} | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |392|1st}} |11th| | | | | | | | | | |22nd| | | | | | | |281|1st}} | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |397|1st}} References External links * Sebastian Vettel's website (English/German) * Vettel's career details * Sebastian Vettel on Manipe F1 Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:Current Drivers Category:German Drivers Category:World Championship Winning Drivers Category:2007 Début Drivers Category:BMW Sauber Drivers Category:Red Bull Drivers Category:2012 Season Drivers